Wellness Center auction deemed a great success

Raises over $16,000 to support programs and services

The Community Wellness Center Advisory Committee held an auction on Sunday, June 13 that raised $16,169 to support the ongoing operation and services of the Community Wellness Center in Laconia.

More than 200 people attended the event, during which nearly 400 items including a Harley Davidson motorcycle, antiques, furniture, jewelry, sports equipment, and restaurant gift certificates were auctioned off. Volunteer auctioneer and event coordinator Dick Monasky attributed the event’s success to the outpouring of volunteer support and the community’s generosity in donating items to be auctioned off.

The Community Wellness Center is a part of LRGHealthcare. Since the program opened in 1996, LRGHealthcare has been subsidizing the Wellness Center at a level of more than $500,000 each year. Earlier this year, when it became apparent that LRGHealthcare could no longer continue to subsidize the program at this level, several people stepped forward to form the Community Wellness Center Advisory Committee. This group, made up of community members and Wellness Center program participants, made a commitment to work to raise funds to help support the continuation of wellness services in Laconia.

“We are very fortunate to have such committed individuals in our community,” said LRGHealthcare President and CEO Tom Clairmont. “These people have seen firsthand the value of the services provided by the Wellness Center, and they are working in partnership with us to help ensure that those services will continue for others in the community."

Noting that he was very pleased to see how successful the auction was, Clairmont thanked those who worked so hard to make it happen, as well as those who attended the auction to help support the Community Wellness Center. "I look forward to working with other groups and individuals in our community to see how we can all help to support the ongoing availability of services in the Lakes and Twin Rivers regions,” he said.

Today, the services of the Community Wellness Center are offered in three locations. The acute cardiac and pulmonary program is located on the third floor of Lakes Region General Hospital. The supervised exercise program is located at the St. James Parish Hall, located across the street from Opechee Park in Laconia. And for those patients who have reached a point at which they no longer require medical supervision during exercise, the Laconia Athletic and Swim Club has been working with LRGHealthcare to develop a program to help those members transition from a supervised program to a fitness program.